Good news for CSN … Northwest, that is

Comcast SportsNet has made strides in its longest, thorniest carriage struggle, announcing Thursday that its CSN Northwest affiliate will be seen beginning in September on Charter cable systems in Oregon and Washington.

CSN Northwest, which carries Trail Blazers games, has been struggling for more than five years to add subscribers in the Pacific Northwest and still is shut out on DirecTV and Dish Network in the same fashion as is CSN Houston for its Rockets and Astros games.

Thursday’s announcement has no impact in Houston or on CSN Houston directly, but it does indicate that at least the NBC Sports Group negotiators are still on the job and, every once in awhile, succeeding.

CSN Northwest will be available on Charter’s expanded basic service, which is the placement that CSN is seeking on satellite, telco and cable systems in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma and New Mexico.

As is the case with its Houston affiliate, CSN Northwest still has work to do on the satellite front. In fact, DirecTV spokesman Robert Mercer told The Oregonian, “It’s unlikely we would come to an agreement any time soon.”